Editorial: Get involved in Make a Difference Day

SUNY New Paltz students Jake Crusade and Ana Bennett organize food donated on campus on Make a Difference Day last year. The food collected from students, faculty and staff was going to an on-campus food pantry for students. The Journal is urging people and organizations to prepare for this year's Make A Difference Day, which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26

Participating in a food drive for veterans. Helping with a much-needed renovations to an agency serving so many people. Aiding an elderly Fishkill woman with home repairs. Sewing for those less fortunate. Sprucing up homes in the City of Poughkeepsie. Tackling the feral cat problem in the area.

Many organizations are hoping to do their part on Make a Difference Day in October, but they need your help. Make a Difference Day was started 21 years ago by USA Weekend Magazine, which appears in the Sunday Journal, and now more than 3 million people participate annually in this national day of volunteering.

Recently, the Journal asked organizations to let us know what projects they were considering for that day, and what people can do to help. Here is a list of those projects for your consideration. Please get involved if you can.

The Kiwanis Club of Poughkeepsie will conduct a food drive for the Castle Point Veterans Family Food Pantry from 12 to 4 p.m. today at Adams Fairacre Farms on Route 9 in the Town of Wappinger. The nonperishable foodstuff donated will be complemented by items collected in October by students attending various local schools. Donations will be delivered to Veterans Administration's Castle Point facility in Wappingers Falls on Oct. 26. Contact project coordinator Randy Ross at rross553@optonline.net, 914-489-5189, or Bill DelTosta at 845-471-3820.

Guardian Angel Cat Rescue Inc. Guardian Angel Cat Rescue, Inc. cares for many feral colonies throughout the Poughkeepsie area. The organization practices the methods of trap/neuter/release to help control the cat population. Friendly cats are adopted into loving homes. GACR is in need of volunteers to help raise money and food donations to continue caring for the ferals. The organization also needs volunteers to help feed and build feral cat shelters for the winter. Contact Lori Boccia at catangel@me.com, visit the website at guardianangelrescue.org, or call 914-475-7871.

Rebuilding Together Dutchess County plans to help an elderly Fishkill woman and an East Fishkill family with much-needed home repairs on Oct. 26. Rebuilding Together has been in Dutchess County for 21 years and provides no-cost home repairs to low-income homeowners. It has assisted more than 400 homeowners and completed repairs valued at more than $4.6 million. To make a donation, contact Executive Director Christina Boryk at 845-454-7310.

The Hudson Valley New York chapter of the American Sewing Guild would like the community's participation at its "sew-in" from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 26, at the Poughkeepsie Plaza Mall on Route 9. Members will be making pajama pants that will be donated to Hudson River Housing for needy families. Sewing skills are appreciated but not required. Go to www.hudsonvalleyasg.blogspot.com, call 845-229-8958, or email asghvpres@gmail.com.

Family Partnership Center would like to repair and clean its commercial kitchen equipment. The building's bottom floor incurred nearly $200,000 in damage by various storms the past few years. The Family Partnership Center is home to 19 agencies and programs and sees more than 43,000 clients per year. The center seeks funds, as well as volunteers to help with the Oct. 26 cleanup. It also needs a volunteer from a commercial kitchen company to better assess the damage. Contact CEO Brian Doyle at bdoyle@familyservicesny.org, or call 845-452-1110, Ext. 3100, or 845-475-6468. The website is www.familyservicesny.org.

Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County, in partnership with United Way of the Dutchess Orange Region, would like to repaint the exterior of homes in the north end of Poughkeepsie. In addition, volunteer teams will assist with minor repairs and complete neighborhood cleanup work. Contact Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Justine Porter at Justine.porter@habitatdutchess.org, call 845-475-9336 or visit www.habitatofdutchess.org to register for the project.

United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region, in addition to revitalizing a neighborhood with Habitat for Humanity, will complete a coat drive and a food drive. In partnership with Guardian Self Storage, and the Orange County Young Professionals, United Way seeks to collect 600 gently used coats in October. Coats will be distributed to men, women and children for the upcoming winter season. Volunteers are requested to assist in collecting coats in advance of Oct. 26 and assist in sorting coats prior to laundering.

In partnership with Adams Fairacre Farms, United Way will collect non-perishable items at the Wappingers location on Saturday, Oct. 26. Items collected will be paired with donated turkeys and provided to families in need through Dutchess Outreach. Contact Melissa Clark for all of the listed United Way projects, at 845-471-1900, Ext. 3128, or email mclark@uwdor.org.

By working together with these organizations, we can all make a difference in the lives of people right here in Dutchess County.

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Editorial: Get involved in Make a Difference Day

Participating in a food drive for veterans. Helping with a much-needed renovations to an agency serving so many people. Aiding an elderly Fishkill woman with home repairs. Sewing for those less